At first glance, this might look like a shameless attempt to gain reads by listing the hottest topics in the South African blogosphere right now. And in some ways, it is: you have no idea how motivating it is to watch your name slipping down the rankings on the Thought Leader home page. I may never topple Michael Trapido, but hey, a girl can dream.
Seriously, though, Jacob Zuma, Zapiro and Sarah Palin really do have something in common. Here’s why.
Palin was roundly criticised by the left-leaning media predictably appalled by a huntin’, shootin’, fishin’, Creationist, anti-abortion hockey mom who — to make that mouthful even more distasteful to Prius-driving pinko-liberal Obama-supporters — also has sex appeal and the apparent ability to connect with ordinary middle Americans, at least at this stage of the campaign.
As we saw, that kind of criticism did nothing to dampen enthusiasm for the Republican vice-presidential nominee. If anything, the left-leaning media played into the hands of the Republicans, coming across as the snobbish, intolerant elite that non-hardcore Democrats have always perceived them to be anyway. Their attacks on Palin have merely served to cement her position as a feisty underdog, the cute pitbull-with-lipstick you want on your side. Any criticism from the usual suspects will now have little impact on those American voters who were undecided in the first place; they’ll take accusations that Palin is a hypocrite because of her pregnant teenaged daughter with a pinch of salt.
In the same way, I suspect that Zapiro’s latest Jacob Zuma cartoon will have the opposite effect to what was intended. Certainly, the comments on Michael Trapido’s piece here indicate strong support for Zapiro by people who are not fans of Zuma. But there are plenty of South Africans — many of them not traditional Zuma supporters by any stretch of the imagination — who aren’t convinced he’s that bad. (I was always intrigued by the fact that my late mother-in-law liked Zuma and was always convinced that Zuma had been wrongfully accused by a woman determined to trap him.)
For a start, I think of my own reaction to that cartoon. I am not a fan of Zuma in any way, shape or form, and I happen to agree that he and his cronies are undermining the judicial system. But Zapiro’s depiction of Zuma as a slavering rapist prompted (aroused seems an injudicious word in the circumstances) something approaching sympathy for the man. I wonder how many others experienced a similar reaction?
If I think back to the way Zuma has been satirised over the past three years, it strikes me that Zapiro has been out on his own in his continued aggressive targeting of Zuma for some time now. I remember how, even back in August 2006, when I was compiling material for my first collection of South African insults, the Zuma jokes stopped being funny. Chris Forrest was performing as a supporting act for David Kau and his Zuma jokes raised a tired chuckle, almost out of a sense obligation more than anything else. We’d heard it all before. For some reason that I’ve never quite been able to articulate, laughing at Zuma had stopped feeling cathartic or subversive.
Not that I dispute the importance of what Zapiro is saying with that cartoon: the discomfort he evokes may be necessary to jolt those who have been busily reconciling themselves with the inevitability of a Zuma presidency out of their complacency. But by depicting the danger Zuma and his cronies pose to South African democracy in such a crude and shocking way, Zapiro may well have prompted many readers of the Sunday Times to view Zuma as the victim here. Which is surely the last thing he wanted.
these capitalist european bastards can fly can to the moon to spin on their heards; fact remains, JZ is the one and he will by hook or crook become the country’s presidents
These capitalist european bastards can fly can to the moon or spin on their bald heards; fact remains, no amount of vitriol will suffice them to rape the will of the people of this country. Please save us the farce of a raibow country, these embiciles should prepare for what is coming their way
Zapiro & his ilks have started the fight; I wish and hope that they’ve got all the resources and energy to go to Round 12.
Tarnishing people’s images, trouncing on people’s rights, compromising people over sales of papers…I just wonder whether this is was the kind of society, the likes of Hanis, Tambos, Luthulis, Mandelas, Bikos fought for.
ANC and its alliances is getting pushed to limits…we’re now seating with this ready o burst bottle.
I just hope the likes of Mondlis, Feriels, Prof Antony Harpers do not cry foul when the ANC put its foot hard on the media; because these ‘very’ editors & media fundis are permitting knick-knacks creatures to do as they please.
Siphiwo Qangani with kangaroos on September 9th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I applaud Zapiro’s brave cartoon. The judiciary is under dire threat from political forces that want to control it and use it as a tool to establish political hegemony. The ANC and its comrades are showning a serious disregard for the rule of law in so many avenues of society. The suppression of the investigation into the arms deal for one - Zuma’s prosecution is tied up in that. The independence judiciary needs to be jealously guarded. Thank you Jonathan. Racists like Muntu & Motho must be re-educated. They threaten peace in our society.
Siphiwo Qangani the scary thing about your ‘hard’ language is that it mirrors in words and spirit how the Nats supporters reacted over and over against the ‘Liberal’ press.
Are you asking the ANC to go further than the Nats in limiting press freedom, surely the ANC is strong and above such Fascist/Marxist anti democracy practices?
Agree with the article that Zap. went too far in depcting a rape, why not just a ‘dusting up’ as agree it makes people jump to Zuma’s side in his defense. Humour is great to bring down the high and mighty but suggest don’t say or write anything that you would not do to the persons face ie like Pieter-Dirk Uys did.
Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, people. And thank goodness we have one man brave enough to exercise it. Must of us ARE NOT.
Zapiro joins a tiny elite of people who were brave enough to stand up to the apartheid thugs, and are now brave enough to call a lie a lie in the new SA.
Our justice system IS under threat of being raped, and it is vital that story gets told.
We are fortunate we have someone who, in one picture, can lay bare all the lies.
We are desperately unfortunate that our leaders subscribe to the Bush Doctrine (”They don’t like your lie? Tell a bigger one!”).
Anything that has got to do with soiling the name of the President of the ANC will always be justified by those masquarading as the mouthpiece of our society.
To prove this look at what society feels about this cartoon and how the so-called “freedom of speech bastions would react”
by hook or by crook
Ya, that first draft was telling.
See, THAT’S THE POINT. That’s what the little inky drawing shows.
I don’t go around outside my house shouting racist obscenities and threatening violence, don’t see why anyone else should have that right. Is it constitutionally protected? Oh look, no. It’s perhaps in the ‘limitations’ bit.
So Zapiro drew a picture. People must get over it.
So Cde Julius chose some unfortunate words. People must get over it.
To keep rehashing either of these, particularly in terms even more offensive and violent than the original, is simply foolish.
Sara,I am not sure of the point in which Zapiro is trying to put across,seeing a woman being dragged like that has less to do with Zuma and the ANC.I am infact disgusted by the potrayal.How can Zapiro use an image of a woman like that,he must be very ashamed of himself and for that single cartoon I begin to wonder about Zapiro,whether he is normal or what.Zapiro your timing is incorrect,many women still associate JZ with a rapist irrespective of him being cleared by the court.The ANC members potrayed on the cartoon are not capable of going to that extent,and I also believe that the ANC has done so much good for both men and women,not only in South Africa but the whole world.If you trully believe that those individuals potrayed on your cartoon are indeed raping a judicial system,surely that is not your call to make especially in the manner that you did.
I have noted personal vendetta on Zapiro’s point of interpretation of the matter.
In my opinion is that when you read the cartoon very carefully. Zapiro depicts JZ as rapists of the judiciary system on his personal capacity rather than his organisation (ANC). You will notice that Mantashe represents the ANC on the cartoon. The question who is Zuma representing on the cartoon? If, on Zuma’s figure was written “ANC” I would have had no problem with the cartoon.
I’m afraid that South Africans have become so numbed to the tactics of Zuma and his cohorts that only shock tactics as Zapiro used seem to raise any serious attention to their destuctive tactics.
There is a war of attrition going on here and you have admitted you and much of the mainline media have succumbed to it. Now to many Zuma doesn’t seem sooo bad while in fact by any decent measure he is appalling. The brilliant, courageous Zapiro has stuck to his guns, never letting the nation forget that we are all acclimatising in the pot of water which is getting hotter by the day.
I also did not see a “slavering rapist” as you say, he is clearly a cold calculating one, which is a very big difference and a major point of the cartoon!
More than the mirth in the cartoons themselves is the one afforded by the antics of Zuma himself. Before Zapiro puts pen to paper, the humour is already out there.
Admit it, Sarah, apart from Billy Goldfinger’s prophecy coming true, you and I do not know what Zuma will be up to tomorrow.
Therein lies your perpetual humour. Therein lies Zapiro’s knack to keep HIS line of Zumatoons rolling and their originality unsurpassed.
People, ever heard of lady liberty? What about lady justice?
I find nothing shocking about Zapiro’s cartoon. It was an apt metaphor for the ‘by nook or by crook’ tactics one man is willing to employ to sidestep our fledgling democratic processes for becoming the next president.
I also agree that positioning Zuma as a victim is not going to help our case against him. Zuma jokes are not funny, because they’re a little too close to reality for comfort.
Zuma and his power rangers have violated our justice system on numerous occasions, a significant number of South African’s are angry about this and Zapiro has given voice to that anger.
To Muntu and Motho: Don’t worry, soon enough, the “European Capitalist Bastards” will see the light and realise there are much better countries to live in than South Africa: Then they’ll all leave and live blissfully elsewhere, like so many of us already do, and people like you can shit in your own nest, finish screwing up the country, and the rest of the world won’t care.
I have a number of issues with the cartoon and while I respect the incisive political observations and social commentary which Shapiro has previously afforded us, I feel he overstepped the mark this time.
There were too many aspects of this cartoon which were too near the knuckle. And his and Mondli Makhanya’s insistance that “if we thought it was offensive we didn’t understand it”, was patronising to say the least.
I notice that the cartoon was directly below Makhanya’s Sunday Times column in which he apologises for the inaccurate Transnet story. The fact that the Transnet story ran alongside his apology for the inaccurate Land Bank story gives you the kind of level of journalism he is proud to represent. No wonder Shapiro is trying to keep him out of the spotlight.
Just looked at the cartoon again - you’re right, JZ is a calculating rapist. I remembered the drip from the showerhead as a drip of saliva. Memory is tricky thing, clearly!
Rodney King of Sydney on September 10th, 2008 at 5:24 am
I stand to repeat the comment made earlier this year, that SA can do better than Mr JZ, he is morally flawed and does not inspire SA. Zapiro and the likes are going to go out of business because they cant cartoon on a number of topics - rape, polygamy, fraud, bibery, money laundering, abuse of justice system, because all this relate to one man and the whole nation must suffer and losse its sense of humour and avoid public debate on this issues, till when? I am appealing to Tat’uMsholozi to recuse himself from the position irrespective of being guilty or not of the pending charges, but for the health of the entire nation and its young democracy and legacy of the whole african continent. You will receive honour and be listed with the likes of Mandela and Luthuli, other than entrench the idea that african leaders will kill their entire nation to hold onto presidency. There maybe a better opportunity for you at the next election (2012) you will govern without fear or fervor for you would have redeemed yourself and won the public’s confidence. Zapiro continue to cartoon these issues, they strengthen our democracy, without fear or fervor. I admire you for the courage. Zapiro, Vavi and Malamela will really kill you this time, expect no less !
African baby abroad on September 10th, 2008 at 5:42 am
Its sad that the merits of the cartoon is the discussion point and not the legitimacy of its message. Its also sad to see the betrayal of the all the the ANC fought for so long and hard. I recall a the rallying cry of ‘JUSTICE FOR ALL!!!’ sending shivers down my spine during protest marches at varsity in the 80s. The bunch of opportunists in the cartoons are the inheritors of Sobukwe, Biko and Mandela? Cry the beloved country…
Sara, you may have made the very first refreshing comment on this issue since it began littering the pages of many newspapers and verses of many South African conversations.
Your point about the discomfort with Zapiro’s potrayal I think is possibly his greatest success with this, but that’s about it. I really think that he may very well have made many people who would otherwise shrug Zuma off a person that they feel is being maligned in the media now. And his silence on the issue I believe further serves his side because anything that people are saying and or doing on his behalf is their own doing; but he’s a politician so I expect that from him.
Something that I find even more interesting is the common denominator in South Africa’s biggest “media racism” stories this year being the Sunday Times. Namely the case of Bullard and now Zapiro. It’s interesting that David Bullard not so long ago said things that were considered even by myself, to have crossed the line. And today we sit with Zapiro who has also seemingly crossed the line too; but is not facing the loss of any media coverage…unlike Bullard.
South Africa is an interesting place, to say the least.
Alas..all the wit of this great cartoonist was lost in tranlation. I am not suggesting that those who are crying foul over Lady Justice being deflowered are illiterate.
Point is, this is a Metaphor..Lady Justice is not a living person…how do you personify something as abstract as Justice…see? Now the people holding Lady Justice down..same applies to them..they are not rapists..Ever heard the expression “My hands are tied” they are equally disabling the Lady Justice..Not Raping!!
As a cartoonist, I would have stopped short of showing Cde. Jacob Zuma…as he is exercising his democratic right to challenge the allegations of corruption against him. As far as Freedom of Expression goes, I say this cartoon is an Agenda setter. It certainly has lips wagging. Well done Zapiro.
@ Zeehmeister: Zapiro has an impeccable track record which includes criticism of Israel. So it’s very difficult for critics to pigeonhole him because he’s both incredibly politically correct - and incorrect at the same time.
@ Rodney: I was just reading an article today about how most of the premiers of the states in Aus were not elected, and Labor in NSW is dominated by factions, kingmakers, infighting, jobs for pals and an inability to deliver on promises. Gosh, that sound familiar!
Rodney King of Sydney on September 10th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
[…] any fingers but you need only look at Laurice Taitz’ post from yesterday on The Times and Sarah Britten’s from the M&G Thought Leader Blog to see my […]
Motho, you want them to go against the whole Constitution? That they fought for? That’s such double standards and really very dof. JZ wouldn’t be the 1st leader of a country who’s indicted and/or indicted.
Loyal South African on September 10th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Siphiwo, how can you even think of there not being freedom of the press and freedom of speech in SA? Are you hankering after the days of the Nationalist Government?
Loyal South African on September 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Has it backfired, do you think?
It seems to me that Zapiro wanted to highlght the issue and wanted a public fuss, but ironically, because of the manner in which he chose to do it, the focus is on his drawing rather than the message behind it.
I agree that this cartoon is doing positive pr for Zuma. Even white liberals are feeling this cartoon was a little harsh. Whether the cartoon is right, wrong, good or bad, Zuma can rightfully say that he was never guilty of rape, that this cartoon makes defamatory suggestions, and he can easily appear to be in the right.
Wow. Seems Zuma supporters (Kill for him? Who exactly do you want to kill and how?) have no clue about the universal depiction of Justice as a woman. They all think Zapiro used a woman to depict Justice merely in order to further a “rape” metaphor. The feminists seem equally blind to the meaning of the cartoon and fixate on “rape” instead of the meaning of the cartoon. What hypocrites. Cartoons depicting the massacre and death of hundreds (women included) provoke no outrage but just mention “rape” and the sky is supposed to fall down around us. Get a sense of perspective people! You are acting like religious fundamentalists who regard their beliefs beyond earthly criticism.
ZApiro is all that’s left of the struggle. An i do mean the struggle, because it used to be about truth and integrity and saying it the way it is. Now the “struggle” is a term every South African uses to try and hide the fact that there are only ever a select few that are big enough to take the risk of facing down these institutionalized maidenheads. I don’t imagine that ZApiro has the finances (cartoonist salary) to support masses of lawyers or pay R15 million lawsuits against him, and yet he continues to fight in the face of total destruction. He is the man.
Probably not..and indeed, either is a little scary.
Our own American ‘civil war’ *cough cough* should be enough to make my point, or yours.. God was on both sides.
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Sarah Britten has written three books on South African insults. During the day she is a communication strategist in the ad industry; by night she writes books and blog entries. It helps to have insomnia.
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Palin’s good, Zuma’s a disgrace, Zapiro is a god.
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